Tiny American flags adorned almost 3,000 graves at the Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens on Monday.

The Elkridge Young Marines spent five hours over the weekend planting the flags, reported ABC 2 News.

"We're trying to honor our veterans and show that we really care," Danielle Dixon, a member of the Elkridge Young Marines, told ABC 2 News.

Planted at the head of fallen soldiers' grave stones, the flags symbolized the 3,000 Maryland veterans buried at the Timonium cemetery, where thousands gathered on May 28 to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives at war.

Among them was Aaron Marchanti, whose father died in combat earlier this year.

"It means a lot to us; it's important," said Marchanti of the Memorial Day service. "We want to remember. We want to remember our father and everything he did for us and not just him but all the other soldiers and military members that have given their life for the country.  It helps to ease the pain."

Seven men and women of the armed forces were welcomed Monday into what the cemetery calls the "Circle of the Immortals"—a memorial shrine dedicated in 1967 and reserved for Marylanders killed in action.

These seven men and women died in the last year:

• Army Major Robert J. Marchanti II, Baltimore; Feb. 25, 2012
• Air Force Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten, Upper Marlboro; Feb. 18, 2012
• Airman 1st Class Matthew R. Seidler, Westminster; Jan. 5, 2012
• Army Specialist Ronald H. Wildrick, Jr., Woodsboro; Dec. 11, 2011
• Army Sgt. Barun Rai, Silver Spring; Aug. 3, 2011
• Army Sgt. Jameel T. Freeman, Baltimore; Aug. 11, 2011
• Air Force Master Sgt. Tara R. Brown, Bowie; April 27, 2011

About 130 Marylanders have died serving their country since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone, including Elkridge's own Samuel Boswell, 20, who died in 2005 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.